OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T: Worth the Upgrade?

When it comes to choosing your next smartphone there are plenty of choices in 2018. And with the new OnePlus 6T your decision is even more difficult. If you have the still excellent OnePlus 5T and are considering the upgrade, here’s what you need to know and how the two compare.

Each year OnePlus releases two phones. The T model is the second half of the year has a few subtle improvements over the earlier model, which usually gives them a leg-up over devices like the latest Galaxy S9. We’re seeing the same thing this year with the OnePlus 6T.

Coming with a big 6.4-inch display, in-display fingerprint sensor and the latest Android 9 Pie all for $549 it’s a big deal. There’s nothing wrong with the 5T, but it’s a year old and you might be considering that $300 trade-in deal from T-Mobile for the OnePlus 6T. And you should.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about each smartphone. From the screen sizes, specs, to what’s new and different just one year later. This will help those trying to decide on which phone to buy, if the OP6T is worth the upgrade, or if you should look elsewhere.

Trying to decide which one to buy is no easy task. With excellent big-screen phones readily available like the Galaxy S9+ and Pixel 3 XL, you’ll have to look at other aspects to decide if the 6T has enough to stay with OnePlus, or if you want to try something else.

If you’ve enjoyed the OnePlus 5T over the last year you know exactly what to expect from the new 6T. A great design, decent cameras, blazing fast software, and timely updates. It’s the same thing, only better. And yes, while the screen is bigger and the cameras better, that doesn’t instantly make it worth the upgrade. Even if it’ll only cost you $300 if you trade-in the OnePlus 5T.

While both phones have pros and cons there are a few very important differences that will make or break the upgrade. Like the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, or the increase in battery life that’ll make your OnePlus 5T feel old. Here’s how the two compare by the numbers and what you can expect.

OnePlus 5T vs OnePlus 6T: Display

It goes without saying, but the biggest difference between these two phones is the display. And while the 5T has a pretty nice 6-inch screen with small bezels, it looks like a phone from 2017.

In 2018, phones have almost no bezels at the top and bottom, notches in the screen, and the front is almost all screen. With the OnePlus 6T you're getting a much bigger 6.4-inch screen in a device nearly the same size as the 5T. That's because the screen stretches to the very top of the body, and further into the bottom too.

There's a tiny notch at the top for the front-facing camera, but that's all. That said, if you hate the new notch trend you'll want to completely pass on the OnePlus 6T.

Personally, it's the best implementation of the notch we've seen yet, and likely the same thing we'll see from the OnePlus 7. So, if you need a phone now, get it.